Miami Beach Unveils First ‘Pride’ Lifeguard Tower

(Miami Beach, FL) Jun 27, 2022 -

Miami Beach is unveiling the city’s first “Pride” lifeguard tower to close out LGBTQ+ Pride Month on Thursday, June 30 at 6 p.m. Located at 12 Street and the beach, the lifeguard tower now displays six vertical painted stripes to reflect the colors of the traditional Rainbow Flag.

“I am proud to live in a city like Miami Beach that celebrates diversity in all of its beautiful forms and welcomes everyone to its shores,” explained Commissioner Alex Fernandez who spearheaded the recommendation from the city’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee to transform the lifeguard tower. “The new rainbow lifeguard stand at our popular gay beach will quickly become an Instagrammable icon portraying to the world that we are indeed a safe and welcoming destination for the entire LGBTQIA+ community. I am thankful to City Manager Hudak and her team for making this a reality.”

The annual Miami Beach Pride celebration is held every year in April while the city also flies the Progress Pride Flag year-round alongside the American flag outside Miami Beach City Hall to demonstrate its commitment to the LGBTQ+ community.

“There is nothing more iconic in Miami Beach than our lifeguard towers,” added Commissioner David Richardson. “This Pride tower reflects our city’s commitment to supporting diversity.”

Nationally, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Pride Month is celebrated throughout the U.S. in June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, according to the Library of Congress, which described the Stonewall Uprising as a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States.

“I’m so proud of our city — we choose love over fear,” added Chairman Edward Martí Kring of the Miami Beach LGBTQIA+ Advisory Committee. “Miami Beach is a vibrant and safe place for all of our families. That’s who we are. May this action from our city leaders serve as another way to show support for human rights. May it inspire those who live, work and play in our community to be more kind and create joy in our world.”

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